legislation, which a new member, no
matter how well qualified he may be,
cannot secure.
JOHN SCHEUER, JR.
JOHN SCHEUER, JR.
John Scheuer, Jr., Republican nom
inee for re-election to the assembly
from the Second legislative disrrict,
is a native of the South Side Scran
ton, where he was born on DfiCPtnber
12, 1858. He attended the public schools
until nearly fifteen years of age, when
he entered his father's bakery to learn
the trade of baker. At the same time
he attended a business college in the
evening, thus fitting himself for the
duties of life.
In 1889 he associated himself with
his brothers, under the firm name of
Scheuer Brothers, and bought out his
father's bakery business and estab
lished the large steam bakery which
is still conducted in South Scranton,
bv the firm, with the subject of this
sketch as business manager. This
bakery has always been a Union bak
ery, and has never been identified with
the Cracker Trust.
In 1887 Mr. Scheuer was elected to
represent the Eleventh ward in the
select council, and while a member of
that body, he faithfully represented
his constituents. He compelled the
Central Railroad company of New Jer
sey to file a bond for damages to prop
erty on the Slocum Flats, caused by
the encroachment of said company on
the Lackawanna river, and under the
terms of this Bond thousands of dol
lars were paid to the property owners
whose properties were damaged.
He has been a director for vears in
several local Building and Loan Asso
ciations on the South Side, which has
done so much to building up that sec
tion of the city. He was president of
the South Side Board of Trade for
three years, and during his term of
office, the Scranton Axle works were
established in the Twentieth ward.
This concern now employs nearly two
hundred men and boys.
In 1898 he was elected to represent
the second legislative district at Har
risburg, and performed his duties In a
painstaking and efficient manner.
Notwithstanding the excitement over
the election of a United States sena
tor, he succeeded in having passed sev
eral measures of benefit, not only to
the people of his district, but of the
county at large. He was an ardent
advocate of every measure that would
purify the ballot, and presented and
succeeded in passing the "Defective
Affidavit BlU" which prevents a citiz
en from losing his vote through care
lessness on the part of election boards.
He had charge in the House and suc
ceeded in passing the "Election Con
test Bill." which will save the county
from expensive election contests in the
future, and which provides that Lhe
petitioners must pay the costs in case
they do not prove their case. Contests
have been an expensive luxury in
Lackawanna county, which has paid
out $200,000 as expenses in such con
tests. He passed a bill providing for the
recording of maps of all tracts of land
laid out for sale. This enables the
purchaser of a lot to know exactly
where his lot is and prevents the clos
ing of streets or alleys after the plot
has been all sold.
During the session Mr. Scheuer was
a member of the Committees on Ap
propriations, Banks and Banking, Mu
nicipal Corporations, and Labor and
Industry.
His action on all labor legislation can
be judged from the following endorse
ment: Whereas, The Hon. John Scheuer, jr., while a
member of the legislature of this state, was an
earnest and ardent supporter of the various bills
which were in the interest of labor, and lost no
opportunity to do what he could to assist us,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the State Legislative Board of
Railroad Employees of Pennsylvania in con
vention assembled at Sunbury, Pa., this twenty
sixth day of April, 1000, does extend to the Hon.
John Scheuer, jr., our sincere and heartfelt
thanks for the fearless and persistent manner ir.
which he fought for the wage workers of this
state, and we hope that the citizens of his dis
trict, especially the working classes, will realize
his sterling worth, and return him to this field
of usefulness, where men of this character are
so greatly needed.
As a member of the Appropriations
Committee he secured appropriations
amounting to $86,500 for the charitable
institutions of his district, and succeed
ed in placing the Hahnemann Hospi
tal on the list for $5,000. He socured
$13,300 more in appropriations than the
district formerly received, notwith
standing the fact that the revenues of
the state were at a low ebb at the
time. He also started the agitation
for a new Lackawanna Hospital, which
bill will be taken up this session.
Mr. Scheuer's experience on the Mu
nicipal Corporations Committee, to
which all charters and bills relating
to the government of cities are re
ferred, will be of especial benefit to
our city in the next session, when the
new second-class city charter for our
city will be adopted, his acquaintance
and good standing with the old mem
bers will go far towards securing good
EDWARD JAHES, JR.
Edward James, jr., the Republican
nominee for the legislature in the
Third district, is a young man whose
popularity was strikingly attested at
the recent primaries, and whose train
ing while a member of the select coun
cil, especially fits him for effective
work at Harrisburg. He has every
quality of a successful legislator; en
ergy, pleasant personal address, a
mind quick to seize upon the salient
features of every public problem,
thorough familiarity with the people
and conditions of his district, and a
schooling in the practical affairs of
life which has put him in touch with
the needs of the great working class.
While Mr. James resides in the city
portion of the district, his candidacy
is of particular interest to the farm
ing element by reason of the fact that
he has given especial attention to the
subject of suppressing the illegal sale
of oleomargarine. In conjunction with
City Food Inspector Fred J. Wldmay
er, Mr. James has been largely instru
mental in preventing much unfair
competition against the dairy Inter
ests of Lackawanna county. His ex
perience in this direction equips him
to take an influential part in the draft
ing of such additional legislation as
may be necessary to still further
check and eliminate the oleo nuisance.
P. A. PHILBIN.
P. A. Philbin, Republican candidate
for representative in the Fourth dis
trict, was born December 8, 1867, in
Archbald, where he has lived ever
since his birth. Like many another
son of an honest miner he received all
his education in the excellent public
schools in the town in which he was
born. As some of the most successful
men of these valleys at the present
day, he began life as a breaker boy
and picked slate In the breaker of the
Pierce Coal company at Wlnton, near
ly two miles from his home. After two
years in the breaker he went to school
for a short while and next worked as
clerk in Mr. Price's store at Archbald.
From clerk he became bookkeeper and
on June 1, 1885, he accepted a position
in that capacity with the late James
Jordan in his large general store at
Olyphant. For over four years he re
mained with Mr. Jordan during which
time he made hundreds of friends in
Olyphant. and won the lifelong esteem
of his employer.
In September, 1889, he was offered a
similar position in the office of the
Scranton Truth, which he accepted and
two years and a half later became a
member of the local staff of writers of
that paper. He had long looked for
ward to a career in journalism, and his
wide and varied experience on the staff
of a live daily paper helped to gratify
his ambition, and paved the way for a
large Independent career.
Mr. Philbin has also studied law,
having registered with Attorney H. M.
Hannah, of Scranton. For several
years he has been a close student of
legal matters and the knowledge he
has gained thereby will be of Inestim
able value to him in the state legisla
ture. Two years ago he bought out the
ArchbaldCitizen and is now editor and
proprietor of that influential journal.
This year Mr. Philbin accepted the un
animous nomination of the Republi
cans of the Fourth district to represent
at Harrisburg that' great industrial
section which comprises the entire up
per half of Lackawanna county ex
tending to the Scranton line and in
cluding the borough of Dunmore and
the townships of Jefferson and Roaring
Brook.
There are few who are so well fitted
for that' high office as is Editor P. A.
Philbin, of Archbald.
Born in the district which it is his
ambition now to represent, he has
spent a lifetime in the closest touch
with its people. The son of a miner,
he knows the needs of t'he miners, their
just grievances and bitter wrongs, and
what laws are necessary to right the
EDWARD JAMES, JR.